21. Master a Surprising Cocktail

On our 2010 Life List: master a surprising cocktail.

Unless you're entertaining freshmen, nobody's going to be dazzled by even the most accomplished mojito. And margaritas? Zzzz. So serve your guests a tasty foreign concoction undefiled by Americanization—like Peru's pisco sour, which we learned of from a friend who grew up surfing the frigid waves of his native Lima: In a shaker, combine 2 oz pisco brandy (we prefer the excellent Pisco 100; pisco100.com), 1 oz fresh lime juice, 1 oz simple syrup, 1 egg white (trust us), and a handful of ice; shake (vigorously!) for ten seconds; strain into a rocks glass; and garnish with a dash of Angostura bitters. Salud.